As part of the <a href="http://www.designbuildlab.org/" target="_blank">design/buildLAB</a> at Virginia Tech, a group of third year <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/student-project">architecture students</a> designed and built a farmer's market pavilion in Covington, Virginia. Staying true to the principles of the market, which requires all produce to come from within 100 miles, the students sourced all their materials for the project in the same area. Reclaimed and locally sawn wood were used in the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/prefab">prefabricated</a> roof, which collects rainwater to irrigate the surrounding landscape. Design and construction of the <a href="http://www.covingtonfarmersmarket.org/" target="_blank">Covington Farmer's Market</a> was a year long process that focused on the research, development and implementation of innovative construction methods and architectural designs.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

In the Fall of 2010, the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/design-build-bluff">student group</a> began research to design the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/farmers-market">farmer's market</a>, which included a tour of other markets in the area and studies of markets around the world.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

With the research under their belt, each student proposed their own design for the market.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

Afterwards, they collectively designed a cohesive strategy that would meet the needs of the vendors and create a dynamic and vibrant public space for local area residents to use.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

The final proposal is composed of three parts: the Ground Plane, the Occupied Space, and the Pavilion Roof.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

A long slender open-air pavilion is topped with a wooden roof clad in galvanized sheet steel.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

A locust deck serves as the market floor and modular boxes serves as an office, storage and a toilet.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

An adjacent sloped earth park provides a stage and seating.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

All of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/prefabricated">prefabricated</a>, modular elements were confined to 10 feet wide in order to facilitate transportation to the site.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

While the students fabricated the roof at facilities at Virginia Tech, local contractors poured the foundation and layed the utility connections, which allowed the project to be constructed in 4 months time.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

All of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/category/green-materials">materials</a> were sourced within a 100 mile radius, which conforms to the standards of where the market's produce can come from.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

Salvaged wood from a nearby barn was used for the roof, while the rest of the wood was sourced from local mills.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

A 1200 gallon cistern stores rainwater collected from the sloping roof, which is then used to irrigate the park and to flush the toilets.

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

The design of the roof directs hot air up and out rather than trapping it under the roof and eliminating the need for forced ventilation. L

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Covington Farmer's Market-design/buildLAB

As part of the design/buildLAB at Virginia Tech, a group of third year architecture students designed and built a farmer's market pavilion in Covington, Virginia. Staying true to the principles of the market, which requires all produce to come from within 100 miles, the students sourced all their materials for the project in the same area. Reclaimed and locally sawn wood were used in the prefabricated roof, which collects rainwater to irrigate the surrounding landscape. Design and construction of the Covington Farmer's Market was a year long process that focused on the research, development and implementation of innovative construction methods and architectural designs.